Higher Ed's Value Problem

The question of the value of higher education is surfacing a lot lately. We watched the confidence in colleges and universities erode over the last 25 years, and now it's showing up in enrollment decisions and in the way families weigh tuition costs against outcomes. We're also seeing it play out in the growing number of students who are stepping left of traditional degree programs in favor of bootcamps, certifications, and self-directed learning. I believe this is where schools and colleges of professional studies have a real opportunity to lead. 

Students who attend professional studies schools and colleges are not following a default path. They are working adults who have chosen to invest their time, money, and energy into education while managing careers and families. They are, in a very practical sense, the ultimate test case for whether higher ed delivers on its promise. Professional studies programs already sit on a foundation of longitudinal relationships with graduates and tracking outcomes to build a clearer picture of where professional education creates lasting career impact. To replicate this across the university, you'd need to deepen employer partnerships to include actual curriculum conversations, so programs stay tightly connected to what the workforce values and needs. It could also mean developing new frameworks for communicating student outcomes in ways that are meaningful and accessible to prospective learners making real financial decisions.

This approach to answering the value question is one of the significant strengths of professional studies schools and colleges. PCE/O units have always been oriented around relevance and practical impact. Turning that experience and practice toward the question of value is a natural next step, and one with enormous potential upside. Universities that can point to rigorous, transparent evidence of their outcomes will stand apart in an increasingly competitive landscape. The opportunity here is to help higher education move from defending its value to demonstrating it.